ENERGY SECTOR Ӏ CASE STUDIES
POWER HOUR
The energy landscape is continually evolving. We look at a range of energy related lifting
projects that encompass component replacement, decommissioning, upgrades, and repair work. Julian Champkin reports.
Power generation is in a state of transformation. Old infrastructure is being dismantled, new systems are rising in their place, and sustainability is becoming a driving force. Behind the scenes, heavy lifting and rigging specialists are playing a vital role in keeping the lights on and the transition moving. From precision lifts in nuclear facilities to high-risk dismantling operations in storm-hit regions, the following projects showcase the critical contribution of lifting in the energy sector. A power station lifting project earlier this year won US lifting, heavy-rigging and hauling specialist Barnhart an award from the SC&RA (Specialized Carriers &Rigging Association) – a US- headquartered international trade association for the specialised transport, lifting, and rigging industries. It was in the ‘Less than $300,000’ category and was for an elegant solution from Barnhart’s engineers for a complex ‘remove and replace’ job that included disassembling and removing an existing isophase fan at a powerplant and replacing it with three sections that had offset centres of gravity. To achieve the lift innovations
were made to Barnhart’s custom Tipstick. The Tipstick is designed
34 CRANES TODAY
specifically to upend smaller diameter vessels and pass them through narrow openings; it is a beam that attaches lengthways to the vessel and which has lifting points welded at intervals along it. In normal use it raises the
vessel from a horizontal position on the ground to hang near- vertically from the crane hook. Thus it eliminates the need for a tailing piece. The Barnhart team modified an existing 27K Tipstick to accommodate the fan sections, each of which had an unknown centre of gravity, to minimise the required headroom. The Tipstick was used in conjunction with several customised rigging and lifting tools, including Barnhart’s proprietary Movable Counterweight Cantilever System (MOCCS), a 75-ton Lift Systems Mobilift, a 100-ton slide, and multi-lift jacks for both removal and replacement. With the help of these the
vessel was manoeuvred through a narrow opening in the plant wall and set into position. The job was completed on time and within budget over a period of three days.
DEEPWATER DECOMMISSIONING Moving further south, and offshore, global technical
solutions provider for energy and infrastructure assets EnerMech has been awarded a contract by American multinational oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil to deliver a complete flowline decommissioning package for the Hoover Diana development in the Gulf of Mexico. The milestone scope marks EnerMech’s first major decommissioning campaign in the region. The Hoover and Diana fields
are located approximately 160 miles south of Galveston, Texas, and have been a landmark offshore development since 2000. The project uses the once- pioneering floating production deep draft caisson vessel technology and gained the world record for deepwater drilling and production depths. Decommissioning a deepwater
structure requires meticulous planning and execution. EnerMech carried out early proactive collaboration with ExxonMobil to ensure that its comprehensive approach is optimised for safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
A team integrating multiple
service lines from EnerMech’s Energy Solutions division will be deployed. It includes expertise in coiled tubing, pressure pumping,
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